NCAA Recruiting
West Chester University strives to uphold the highest standard of integrity to comply with all national, conference and institutional rules and regulations. In order to be eligible to compete at WCU, the NCAA has specific guidelines you must follow. Below, we hope to provide you with information to educate you as a prospective student athlete and help you navigate your way through the recruiting and initial eligibility process.
 
Telephone Calls/Contacts/Evaluations

A coach is permitted to contact a prospective student athlete using all forms of electronically transmitted human voice exchange (including videoconferencing and videophones), electronically transmitted correspondence (e.g., electronic mail, facsimiles), recruiting materials and written correspondence at any time.

A coach is permitted to have face-to-face encounters with a prospective student athlete or their relatives/legal guardians beginning June 15th prior to the start of junior year. 

Contact. A contact is any face-to-face encounter between a prospective student-athlete or the prospective student-athlete's relatives or legal guardian(s) and an institutional staff member or booster during which any dialogue occurs in excess of an exchange of a greeting. Any such face-to-face encounter that is prearranged (e.g., positions themselves in a location where contact is possible) or that takes place on the grounds of the prospective student-athlete's educational institution or at the site of organized competition or practice involving the prospective student-athlete or the prospective student-athlete's high school, preparatory school, two-year college or all-star team shall be considered a contact, regardless of whether any conversation occurs. However, an institutional staff member or booster who is approached by a prospective student-athlete or the prospective student-athlete's relatives or legal guardian(s) at any location shall not use a contact, provided the encounter was not prearranged and the staff member or booster does not engage in any dialogue in excess of a greeting and takes appropriate steps to immediately terminate the encounter.

Coaches will also recruit off campus at tournaments, camps and clinics among other events. If you see a coach off campus, please be mindful of their recruiting calendars.There are different times of the year a coach may contact a prospective student athlete on or off campus. 
 
During a contact period, a college coach may have face-to-face contact with college-bound student-athletes or their parents, watch student-athletes compete or visit their high schools and write or telephone student-athletes or their parents.
 
During a dead period, a college coach may not have face-to-face contact with college-bound student-athletes or their parents and may not watch student-athletes compete or visit their high schools. Coaches may write and telephone student-athletes or their parents during a dead period.

Campus Visits Through Athletics
 
Prospective student athletes may visit our campus at anytime, however coaches are not permitted to meet with prospective student athletes during a dead period.
 
Official Visit (Paid Visit)
An official visit is fully or partially financed by an institution. A prospective student athlete may not be provided an official visit earlier than June 15th prior to their Junior Year in High School. An institution is only permitted to finance one visit per prospective student athlete. An official visit shall not exceed 48 hours. A prospective student athlete may receive meals, lodging, transportation, entertainment and complimentary admission to an athletics home event during their official visit. Coach will speak with prospective student athletes about coming to campus on an official visit.
 
Unofficial Visit (Nonpaid)
A prospective student athlete may visit an institution’s campus at his or her own expense an unlimited number of times even prior to June 15th before their Junior Year in High School. An unofficial visit is fully financed by the prospective student athlete. An institution may offer one (1) to a prospective student athlete and his/her relative/legal guardians at an on or off campus location. An institution may also provide housing, complimentary admission to a home athletics contest and arrange parking on the institution’s campus.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the West Chester University NCAA Compliance Office.

Deirdre Bertotti - Assistant Athletic Director - Compliance Coordinator
dbertotti@wcupa.edu

Erin Campbell - Compliance Assistant
ecampbell@wcupa.edu